New York Times Reviews Reporter Dianna Russini’s NFL Coverage Amid Sedona Resort Photo Controversy

The New York Times Company has launched a formal review of NFL reporter Dianna Russini’s coverage of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, ESPN reported Friday, after photographs of the two together at a Sedona, Arizona resort triggered internal scrutiny.

Russini, who reports for The Athletic — the sports publication owned by The Times — has been placed on leave while the review unfolds. The images, published earlier this week by the New York Post’s Page Six, show Russini and Vrabel at a luxury hotel in Sedona. The photographs capture the pair by a pool, inside a hot tub, and on a rooftop deck, with some images appearing to show the two embracing and holding hands.

Both parties have insisted the interaction was entirely platonic and misrepresented. Russini has stated the photos omitted the context of a larger group gathering, while Vrabel dismissed any implication of impropriety as “l laughable.”

The Athletic initially defended Russini’s reporting. Executive editor Steven Ginsberg said the images lacked context and depicted ordinary public interactions among multiple people. However, the outlet has since broadened its internal review after additional reporting raised fresh questions about Russini’s coverage of Vrabel and the true nature of their relationship.

Editors are now working to verify whether other individuals were present during the Sedona gathering, according to sources familiar with the matter. Since the photos surfaced earlier this week, no stories bearing Russini’s byline have been published.

Russini is among the highest-paid journalists working under the Times Company umbrella, and her contract is set to expire later this year. The outcome of this review could have significant implications for her future at the publication.

The investigation is ongoing and expected to take time, people familiar with the matter said.